Minimum

Minimum, a 2014 third-person shooter, presents an interesting case study for modern high-end hardware. The Intel Core Ultra 7 265HX and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5080 combination delivers exceptionally high frame rates, but the data reveals a clear division of labor between the CPU and GPU depending on resolution and settings. This analysis breaks down the measured performance, placing it in context with the component's standalone benchmarks and nearest rivals to understand where the bottlenecks lie.

CPU Role — cores, clocks, and how they relate to this game's results

The Intel Core Ultra 7 265HX is a mobile processor built on the Arrow Lake-HX architecture, featuring 20 cores and 20 threads. It operates at a base clock of 2.60 GHz and can boost up to 5.30 GHz, a substantial range that allows it to handle both lightly-threaded tasks and heavily parallel workloads. The processor's design includes a shared 30 MB L3 cache, which is crucial for gaming performance by keeping frequently accessed data close to the cores. Its 3 nm process node, manufactured by TSMC, contributes to its efficiency, though the 55 W TDP suggests a focus on sustained performance in a mobile form factor.

In the context of a 2014 title like Minimum, the CPU's raw power is almost certainly not a limiting factor. The game's engine is old enough that its draw call overhead and physics calculations are likely manageable even for processors with far lower multithreaded performance. The benchmark data supports this notion. In the Cinebench R23 test, the CPU scores 40,642 points in multi-core and 5,737 points in single-core, placing it in the 93rd percentile of all CPUs. Its nearest rivals, such as the Intel Core i7-13790F, are nearly identical in average benchmark score, with a delta of just 0.1%. This level of performance means that at 1080p, the CPU can feed frames to the GPU with ease, but the GPU's load becomes the primary constraint as resolution increases.

The measured FPS at 1080p with Low settings reaches 274, which is high enough that any CPU bottleneck would manifest as inconsistent frame pacing. Since the data shows a clean scaling from Low to Ultra settings at 1080p—274 to 134 FPS—it indicates that the CPU is not the primary constraint even at the lowest settings. The 20-core configuration is likely overkill for Minimum, but it provides headroom for background tasks and ensures that the game never starves for processing power. The processor's Passmark single-thread score of 4,500 is robust, and its multithread score of 47,985 is strong, but neither is directly stressed by this game's likely single-thread or low-thread usage.

FAQ — 4-6 Q&A pairs answerable from FACT PACK data

Q: What is the average frame rate at 1440p with High settings?

A: At 2560x1440 with High settings, the combination of the Intel Core Ultra 7 265HX and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5080 produces an average of 114 FPS. This is a significant drop from the 1080p High result of 176 FPS, indicating a growing GPU load.

Q: How does the RTX 5080's performance compare to its nearest rival in synthetic benchmarks?

A: The RTX 5080 has an average benchmark score of 56,083. Its nearest rival, the AMD Radeon 8060S, scores 55,757, which is 0.6% slower. The AMD Radeon RX 9070 GRE is 2.2% faster, scoring 57,367.

Q: What is the maximum frame rate recorded at 4K with Medium settings?

A: At 3840x2160 with Medium settings, the maximum FPS recorded is 84, with an average of 73 FPS and a minimum of 62 FPS. This shows the performance envelope at the highest resolution.

Q: Does the CPU's single-thread performance suggest a bottleneck at 1080p?

A: The CPU scores 5,737 in Cinebench R23 single-core, which is a very high result. The measured 1080p Low average of 274 FPS, with no reported minimum FPS issues, suggests the CPU is not the limiting factor, even at high frame rates.

Q: What is the rank of this specific combo among all tested combinations for Minimum?

A: The Intel Core Ultra 7 265HX and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5080 combination ranks 749th out of 2,939 tested combinations in Minimum, placing it in the upper quartile of all tested systems.

Q: How much faster is the RTX 5080 than the AMD Radeon Pro W5700X in average score?

A: The RTX 5080's average score of 56,083 is 2.3% higher than the AMD Radeon Pro W5700X's score of 54,828, showing a moderate performance gap between the two GPUs.

Resolution Scaling — how FPS drops from 1080p to 4K and what it says about the limiting component

The frame rate scaling across resolutions reveals a classic GPU-bound scenario. Starting at 1080p with High settings, the system produces 176 FPS. Moving to 1440p High, the average drops to 114 FPS, a reduction of 62 FPS or roughly 35%. Further scaling to 4K High yields just 61 FPS, which is a 65% drop from the 1440p result and a 73% drop from 1080p. This steep decline is characteristic of a GPU that is being pushed to its limits by increasing pixel count.

The data pattern is consistent across all settings presets. At Low settings, the system achieves 274 FPS at 1080p, 177 FPS at 1440p, and 95 FPS at 4K. The relative drop from 1080p to 4K is about 65%, similar to the High preset. This consistency indicates that the RTX 5080's rendering throughput is the primary constraint. If the CPU were the bottleneck, we would expect to see a smaller frame rate difference between 1080p and 1440p, since the CPU load would remain constant while the GPU load increases. Instead, the frame rate falls proportionally with the number of pixels, which is a clear sign of GPU limitation.

The 4K Ultra setting shows the most extreme result, with an average of just 47 FPS. This is a 65% drop from the 1080p Ultra result of 134 FPS. The scaling from 1080p to 4K is nearly identical across all settings, which points to a consistent pixel-throughput limit on the GPU. The 16 GB of GDDR7 memory on the RTX 5080 is likely sufficient for this game's textures, but the sheer number of pixels at 4K overwhelms the shader and ROP units. This analysis suggests that for a smoother 4K experience, users should consider lower settings, as the CPU has ample headroom to handle the game's logic at any resolution.

Measured FPS Breakdown — resolution by resolution, settings by settings, exact numbers

The measured FPS data provides a comprehensive view of performance across all combinations of resolution and settings. At 1920x1080, the results are as follows: with Low settings, the average FPS is 274; with Medium settings, the average is 210, with a minimum of 178 and a maximum of 241; with High settings, the average drops to 176; and with Ultra settings, the average is 134. The jump from Low to Medium is a 64 FPS drop, while the jump from High to Ultra is a 42 FPS drop, showing that the cost of each quality tier is not linear.

At 2560x1440, the performance is still strong but noticeably lower. Low settings deliver an average of 177 FPS. Medium settings produce an average of 135 FPS, with a minimum of 115 and a maximum of 156. High settings average 114 FPS, and Ultra settings average 87 FPS. The 1440p Medium result is particularly interesting, as it shows a 42 FPS drop from Low, which is a smaller absolute drop than at 1080p, suggesting the GPU is becoming more saturated.

At 3840x2160, the frame rates become more modest. Low settings yield an average of 95 FPS. Medium settings average 73 FPS, with a minimum of 62 and a maximum of 84. High settings drop to an average of 61 FPS, and Ultra settings are the most demanding, with an average of just 47 FPS. The 4K results show that the RTX 5080 can handle the game at playable frame rates, but Ultra settings are borderline, and the minimum FPS of 62 at Medium suggests that this is the sweet spot for consistency at 4K.

GPU Role — VRAM, clocks, and how they relate to this game's results

The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5080 is a high-end GPU built on the Blackwell 2.0 architecture, with a process node of 5 nm. It features 16 GB of GDDR7 memory on a 256-bit bus, providing a bandwidth of 960.0 GB/s. This is a substantial amount of memory bandwidth, which is crucial for high-resolution gaming. The GPU operates at a base clock of 2295 MHz and a boost clock of 2617 MHz, with memory running at 1875 MHz (30 Gbps effective). Its 10,752 shading units and 112 ROPs are responsible for the pixel throughput that limits performance at 4K.

In synthetic benchmarks, the RTX 5080 scores 36,565 in Passmark G3D, placing it in the 87th percentile of all GPUs. Its average benchmark score is 56,083, and it is 0.6% faster than the AMD Radeon 8060S and 2.3% faster than the AMD Radeon Pro W5700X. The GPU's performance in Minimum is clearly tied to its raw pixel processing power. At 1080p, the GPU can easily keep up with the CPU, but as resolution increases, the shading units and ROPs become the bottleneck.

The 16 GB VRAM is likely not a limiting factor in this 2014 game, as Minimum's textures are unlikely to exceed even 4 GB. However, the GPU's memory bandwidth of 960.0 GB/s ensures that even at 4K, there is no stuttering due to memory starvation. The measured FPS at 4K Medium (73 average) shows that the GPU is capable of handling the resolution, but the steep drop from 1080p to 4K indicates that the game's engine is not optimized for modern GPU architectures, and the RTX 5080 is simply running out of pixel throughput at the highest resolutions.

Settings Recommendations — which preset gives the best experience per the measured rows

The measured data shows a clear trade-off between visual fidelity and frame rate. For users with a 1080p display, the High preset at 176 FPS is an excellent choice, offering a smooth experience with good visuals. The Ultra preset at 134 FPS is also viable, but the 42 FPS drop from High may not justify the visual gains in a 2014 title. For competitive play, the Low preset at 274 FPS provides the highest frame rate, but the visual quality is significantly reduced.

At 1440p, the Medium preset stands out as the best balance. It delivers an average of 135 FPS with a minimum of 115 FPS, ensuring smooth gameplay even in demanding scenes. The High preset at 114 FPS is also playable, but the drop to 87 FPS on Ultra might be too steep for some users. The Low preset at 177 FPS is a good option for high refresh rate monitors, but it sacrifices too much visual quality for a game that is not graphically intensive.

At 4K, the Medium preset is the only viable option for a consistently smooth experience. The average of 73 FPS with a minimum of 62 FPS is acceptable, but the High preset at 61 FPS is borderline, and the Ultra preset at 47 FPS is likely to feel choppy. The Low preset at 95 FPS is an option for those who prioritize frame rate over visuals, but the Medium preset offers a better balance of quality and performance. Overall, the data suggests that Medium settings provide the best experience across all resolutions, with High being a suitable alternative for 1080p and 1440p users with lower refresh rate displays.

How This Combo Ranks — use comboRankInGame vs other tested combos

The combination of the Intel Core Ultra 7 265HX and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5080 ranks 749th out of 2,939 tested combinations in Minimum. This places it in the top 25% of all systems tested, which is a strong result given the game's age and the hardware's modern architecture. The ranking is likely influenced by the GPU's performance, as the CPU is more than capable of handling the game's demands.

The rank of 749 out of 2,939 suggests that while this combo is powerful, there are many other configurations that perform better in this specific title. This could be due to the game's engine being more optimized for older GPU architectures, or it could be that the RTX 5080's high pixel throughput is not fully utilized in a game with relatively simple graphics. The CPU's nearest rivals, such as the Intel Core i7-13790F, are nearly identical in benchmark score, so the ranking is more likely driven by the GPU's interaction with the game.

The GPU's percentile rank of 87th among all GPUs, combined with the CPU's 93rd percentile, suggests that this is a high-end system. However, the combo's rank of 749th indicates that in Minimum, the hardware is not performing at its absolute peak relative to other combos. This could be due to driver overhead or the game's engine not scaling well with Blackwell architecture. Nonetheless, the measured FPS data shows that the system is perfectly capable of delivering a smooth experience at 1440p and even 4K with adjusted settings, making it a solid choice for this title.